Very dry winter. Cracked earth in March. Who waters their garden in March in my zone? All of us serious gardeners in southeatern Michigan-that’s who. Mother Nature-any water coming our way from the sky soon?

Big weeds in the isotoma-not to mention the grass growing like crazy

Magnolia Stellata-blooming March 14. Dropping petals, March 16

Hellebores blooming

Magnolia Soulangiana, the third week of March

March spring -down the street

The neighborhood, March 2012. Today was distinctly chilly. What’s ahead? I have no idea-I am just a girl with a passion for the garden. The passionate part means that I will stand tall and be stubborn. Most importantly, I will roll with the program. I like playing a small part in a bigger picture. What could be better?

Comments

But yet, here in the Pacific NW we are a good 8 degrees BELOW normal and have been for weeks. We have yet to crack 60 degrees for more than a few hours and sun hasn’t been seen for more than 2 days at a stretch. The west coast is way below normal while everyone else is basking in heat. Mother Nature has a odd sense of humor!

I’m at about 2100 feet elevation in the Catskills. We’re at least 4 weeks ahead of schedule also, maybe more. My hellebores, early primulas, daffodils, chinodoxia and muscari are blooming, a Dr Merrill magnolia is starting to bloom, the later blooming ‘Ann’ magnolia is cracking the buds open a bit, peony buds are up, and the delphiniums are about 5 inches tall. And tomorrow night it’s supposed to be 4 degrees here, and about the same the next night. Eek! My hubby and I just finished cutting down a 10′ spruce that was growing into our view, and I’m using the branches plus more leaves to cover the most vulnerable bits today, and I’m planning to robe the magnolias in row cover and blankets tomorrow evening. It probably won’t save the blooms (it only gives about 10 degrees protection) but it might salvage the buds not yet open.

Here in my garden in Vermont we are three weeks ahead. There are Daffodils, Scilla, Hellebores, Chionodoxa, and Dwarf Iris blooming, Magnolia stellata in pink bud, Clematis full of new growth, Crabapples and Lilacs in young leaf, Amelanchier just about to burst into bloom, and 18º predicted for Tuesday night!

Wow, Deborah! Because we are only a few hours apart, you’d think our weather would have been the same. You seem to be even a bit earlier than we are. That being said, I agree that overall we are a good 3-4 weeks earlier than normal.

We’ve had a very wet spring thus far and the beds are quite moist.

Because our home is only 2 blocks from Lake Erie, we definitely stay a good 10 degrees cooler than inland in the spring- helping to prolong it.

We are all wondering what is in store for us going forward on such an odd year.

Dear Ann, I live in an urban neighborhood-but everywhere I go the story is the same. Spring flowering trees in full bloom, and perennials out of the ground. It will be interesting to see what happens, as I have never experienced anything like it before. Deborah

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About the Author

Deborah Silver is a landscape and garden designer whose firm, Deborah Silver and Co Inc, opened its doors in 1986. She opened Detroit Garden Works, a retail store devoted to fine and unusual garden ornament and specialty plants, in 1996. In 2004, she opened the Branch studio, a subsidiary of the landscape company which designs and manufactures garden ornament in a variety of media. Though her formal education is in English literature and biology, she worked as a fine artist in watercolor and pastel from 1972-1983. A job in a nursery, to help support herself as an artist in the early 80’s evolved into a career in landscape and garden design. Her landscape design and installation projects combine a thorough knowledge of horticulture with an artist’s eye for design. Her three companies provide a wide range of products and services to the serious gardener. She has been writing this journal style blog since April of 2009.